By Hugh T. Ferguson, NASFAA Senior Staff Reporter
NASFAA's weekly policy podcast, "Off The Cuff," reached tens of thousands of listeners in 2022, keeping members up to date on all things related to financial aid and higher education amid a busy year full of changes and challenges. Check out the top 10 most downloaded episodes and relisten to your favorites from the past year.
OTC Inside the Beltway: Sorting Through Biden's Decision on Student Loan Debt Cancellation
August 26, 2022 - On a special episode Justin is joined by Karen, Rachel, Megan, and Hugh to work through President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is canceling $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers and extending the pause on payments and interest accrual for federally-held student loans until Dec. 31, 2022. The team goes through the mechanics of the executive action, lays out some public opinion polls, sorts through the initial reactions, and asks a number of implementation questions that are beginning to surface.
OTC Inside the Beltway: What to Know About Operation 'Fresh Start'
August 27, 2022 - On a special episode Justin is joined by Karen and Megan to discuss the Biden administration’s “Fresh Start” initiative that aims to provide a pathway for delinquent and defaulted borrowers to reenter repayment in good standing.
May 20, 2022 - Allie fills in for Justin and is joined by Jill and David to discuss the latest news out of the Department of Education concerning verification waivers. The team has the latest information members should be aware of and how ED’s temporary changes will impact financial aid offices, plus some “verification 101” tips for schools looking to stay in compliance.
November 9, 2022 - Justin, Jill, and David discuss the latest news coming out of the Department of Education with updates on how the department will implement provisions from the FAFSA Simplification Act for the 2023-24 award year and a flurry of final rules that were recently released. Jill dives into those final rules and David covers updates to the FAFSA simplification rollout.
OTC AskRegs Experts: Transcript Withholding and Answering Questions About Summer Aid
April 22, 2022 - Justin, Jill, and David discuss new guidelines for institutions regarding transcript withholding along with the latest federal and state level developments concerning the practice. David then dives into answering questions on crossover payment periods, specifically how it impacts the summer term.
OTC AskRegs Experts: HEERF Updates and Institutional Preparations for the 2022-23 Award Year
January 21, 2022 - Justin, Jill, and David provide listeners with an update on a number of regulatory issues. Jill and David cover some questions from NASFAA members concerning the HEERF annual reporting form, regulatory assistance issues concerning institutions packaging students for 2022-23 award year, setting costs of attendance, and preparations for tuition and assistance for the upcoming academic year.
OTC From the Field: Retaining Talent in Your Financial Aid Office
August 12, 2022 - On a special episode Justin is joined by Andy Brantley, president and CEO at CUPA-HR, and Anthony Jones, executive director of scholarships and financial aid at the University of Utah, to discuss employee retention within the higher education sector, with a focus on financial aid offices. The group dives into some recent survey data, position classification systems, and also walks through one office’s experience going through the reclassification process.
February 18, 2022 - Justin, Jill, and David break down the latest on gainful employment as the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee once again tackles the topic. David and Justin then discuss disbursing Title IV aid for a completed payment period and what aid offices need to know to avoid any pitfalls.
OTC Ask Regs Experts: FAFSA Updates and Pell Recalculation Dates
July 22, 2022 - Justin, Jill, and David discuss regulatory updates from the Department of Education that directly impact the Pell Grant program and FAFSA guidance. Jill walks members through the latest news concerning updates coming to the FAFSA, impacts of early implementation provisions, as well as what’s coming down the road for the 2024-25 award year. David then provides details on the terminology behind the “Pell Recalculation Date.”
OTC Inside the Beltway: Updates to Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness
October 28, 2022 - Justin and Karen are joined by Jon Fansmith, the American Council on Education's assistant vice president for government relations, to discuss the temporary block on President Joe Biden’s plans for student loan cancellation and what we expect to happen next. The discussion then turned to changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and the midterm elections.
Publication Date: 12/5/2022
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